Don’t boo, vote; don’t smash, march

Protesters on Jan. 19 smashed the windows of a Starbucks and Bank of America in downtown Washington just a mile from the inauguration. On Jan. 20 several took a more drastic measure in setting a limo on fire a few blocks from the inaugural parade.

Donald J. Trump is officially the 45th president of the United States, and with all of these recurring events, we must carefully understand the real purpose of these violent acts.

Is it really justified to smash into a Bank of America to “protest” a president?

As someone who has lived long enough in the U.S to see three different presidents elected into office, I consider it a fact that negative actions in relation to a political figure, such as the president, have never led to a positive outcome.

That is why it’s important for the public to accept the electoral process, even though some of us, like me, will never support our current president.

“Our elections are what separates us from the rest of the world,” English teacher Ms. Hammond said. “We have no choice (to not accept the results) if we want to be a democracy.”

If you were like most Americans, you followed the election and noticed from the beginning that it was going to be a long and bumpy road. What astonished me the most occurred after it was over: a far worse and bumpier road.

Those who are angry, which they have a right to be, may be oblivious to the fact that Trump won because there were people who actually like him, and the chaos they are causing is a key feature of America’s division.

“I was okay with the results of the election, although it was unexpected,” media aide Mrs. Estrella said. “I don’t see any reasoning behind the violence because when other people got elected, everyone eventually accepted it, and (Obama) even got two terms.”

I may not agree with this election’s outcome, but I will most certainly not step out of bounds because I know that it won’t change a single thing about who is president. If we want our disapproval of this election’s results to be heard, then we must take formal and political actions against it.